Charlie and Carson

Big Sister, Little Brother




"This is super fun, Carson!"

Charlie Spills the Beans

Charlie Juggles

Check out Charlie's new talent - juggling!

Charlie's 2nd Birthday

We had so much fun celebrating Charlie's 2nd Birthday this year. We had the family over for hamburgers and cake, and since Charlie LOVES Minnie Mouse, we had a Minnie Mouse themed party! She was very spoiled (of course!) and recieved so many loving gifts from her family.

Daddy and Mommy got her a Minnie Mouse kitchen, fully equiped with a oven, sink, blender and toaster. She had a blast! Here are some pictures!

Charlie Meets Mickey and Minnie

Well, it took two grueling days to make it to Mickey and Minnie's house but we made it. We battled hunger, sleep deprivation, crankiness, and two severe lightning storms. But oh, was it ever wort it. Check out the video of Charlie's encounter with the two tiny toons...

Charlie and the Great Bouncy Ball

So Nana and Poppy got Charlie an early Birthday present - a bouncy bouncy ball with a handle so she can hold on and bounce. At first glance, this had DISASTER written all over it. Charlie has a knack for being a bit of a daredevil already, so you can imaging what we, as the overly protective parents of a child who's already had one broken arm, were thinking.

Immediately, we all surrounded her with pillows and ourselves to see how this was going to go over on her first try. We would help her sit on it and tell her to hold on to the handle then bounce. It proved difficult for her to multitask, as she would focus on boucing and forget to hold on to the handle. Then she would concentrate on holding on to the handle, but forget to bounce. We all figured it would be a toy she could "grow into" and our plan was to put the bouncy ball up and only allow her to play with it under our supervision.

Well, the first thing she asked for when she got up the very next day after receiving said bouncy ball was...you guessed it - "I wanna bounce on the bouncy ball!" So I begrudgingly grabbed the bouncy ball from its "safe spot" high from little hands, and told her to take it to the carpet (so as to minimize many tumbles to the ground from this torturous toy. We basically repeated the same routine from the night before. She would be able to either bounce or hold on, but not achieve both tasks simultaneously. It was kind of funny because she would start off holding onto the handle with her hands, but as soon as she started bouncing with her legs, her hands would fly free and she would basically roll down the ball on her back slowly onto the floor. And all the while she would be grinning, which made for a funny visual.

So I thought it would be good video to capture so I ran to get the recorder. Well, something clicked (no, not a broken bone) but when I started recording, she started bouncing like a seasoned veteran - as if she's been boucing for years. And the jibber jabber was hilarious. This is honestly the first time we've ever been able to capture something cute, as normally by the time I clumsily collect the recording device, she's already moved past the act of cuteness, or she gets stagefright and refuses to perform.

So enjoy this little moment. (See Transcript below.)

TRANSCRIPT:
Charlie: And....bounce!
Daddy: Bounce with your legs.
Charlie: (Bounces once)
Daddy: There you go! Good job! Do it again.
Charlie: (Bounces once)
Daddy: Do it again.
Charlie: (Bounces once)
Daddy: Keep goin.
Charlie: (Bounces repeatedly)
Daddy: Alright Charlie!
Charlie: (Stops bouncing)
Daddy: See how long you can do it.
Charlie: I'm jumping really high! (4x) Minnie, I'm doin it. Come on, Minnie. Let's bounce together. Let's bounce together. Bounce, bounce, bounce. Let's bounce together, Minnie. Let's bounce together. It's minnie's turn. Hi, Minnie! Minnie's bouncing together. Minnie's bouncing together. Okay, Minnie, I'm gonna... Right there. I ??? bounce ???. Come here, Rascal. Come on, Daddy. Let's bounce together. Oh I think ???. Alright. Ready, get set, bounce! (Bounces repeatedly) Look Rascal! I'm bouncing!

My little Tinker Bell! We went to visit some friends of ours a few weeks ago, and their little girls were playing with all sorts of fairy costumes and wings. Charlie had a blast putting on the wings and running around like a little princess, so I found these wings at Target, get them home, and she won't have anything to do with them! Go Figure! I had to bribe her to pose with them. At least she likes the headband Boo got her!!